New Zealand Defence Minister says Commission of Inquiry Report fails to address key issue

New Zealand Defence Minister Phil Goff says an inquiry into the Chinatown riots in the Solomon Islands last year fails to address the main point.

Radio New Zealand International says the inquiry, set up by the Solomon Islands government, has pointed to a number of failures by Australian police commanders leading up to the riots which broke out at Parliament House and spread across the city.

No-one was killed, but more than 30 Australian Federal Police were injured. Much of the Chinatown trading district was razed, with hundreds of Chinese forced to flee for their lives.

Mr Goff told Morning Report the report does not focus on who was responsible for the riots on 18 April.

He said two government members of parliament were arrested at the time for instigating the riots.

He said the report should look at how they were dealt with and why they are free today.

Source: SIBC